Lots of people piece the same fabric to make it the right size. But you do have an opportunity to jazz it up a bit by using the border fabric you DIDN'T use for borders and add that to the back! Or an extra block or two with strips of the border or back fabric to include the blocks in a pleasing manner. I agree, I don't do a strip right down the middle. I offset to one side. I just finished a very colorful quilt and used a jelly roll, sewed into strips and set on the diagonal across the back. Was a trick to cut the large backing pieces on that same diagonal, but I managed, and it looks awesome! At the long arm quilters right now or I would post a pic! Just have fun, no law that the back has to be 1 piece, 3 pieces or even all the same. Some folks make scrappy backs, others actually piece two tops and make it totally reversible with 2 different sides that are a quilt in themselves!

Go ahead: piece your back with the fabrics you have. What you will have when you are finished is really a reversible quilt -- two for the price of one!!

One of my all-time favorite projects is a quilt made of seven dress shirts which I'd shrunk out of. The directions called for using the same fabrics for the back and front -- different patterns, though. I even used the buttons and labels in the thing. It was a lot of fun.

[QUOTE=linda8450;7528460] you do have an opportunity to jazz it up a bit by using the border fabric you DIDN'T use for borders and add that to the back!

This was my idea, too. Use the left over fabric you had intended to put in the borders to make a pieced back. Everything coordinates.

I don't usually like pieced borders but love yours!

Some pieced back are on purpose and take a lot of planning, so, YES, it is perfectly acceptable.

I use pieced backs all the time. I think it gives a bit more interest to the back (and it uses up the odd pieces leftover from the front!).

I have a friend who ALWAYS piece her quilt backs, regardless of quilt
size. She has even been known to do some applique on the backs
for added interest.

Her quilts look amazing.

I make mixed backings all the time.....it's how I use up a lot of scraps.....fat quarters are great put together.....strips work well too....just add one fabric to another.....scrappiness is great for backings......

I agree with everyone else that a pieced back gives you the opportunity to jazz up the back if you add some of the colors from the front to the back. I recently did that with a quilt- added a 10 horizontal strip that started out about a foot from the top. When the quilt is laid on the bed and the corner is turned down you can see the pretty strip on the back. It really enhanced the look of the quilt.

However- I also just learned about diagonal piecing the back. That also might be on option if you have extra length.

i love pieced backs. here is one of my favorites. well, two of my favs.